Cheshire leading developer Barratt Homes has donated a hedgehog home to Pikemere School to help the hedgehogs move home when their winter hibernation ends.

The garden inhabitants become inactive over the colder months of the year and a hedgehog home is the perfect hideaway to give them the shelter and warmth they need.

Students were delighted to receive the donation as it will help the wildlife close to the school thrive and will give the pupils an opportunity to observe and learn about the habits of hedgehogs from a safe distance.

Victoria Beddow, Teacher at Pikemere School, said: “We very much appreciate the donation of a hedgehog home here at Pikemere! We are working towards becoming a wildlife friendly school and we are really keen in supporting the hedgehogs in our environment.

“A big thank you to Barratt Homes for the donation. We are hoping to build upon this donation through a future fruit orchard that we have planned, which will not only provide us with a healthy supply of apples, but it will also be fantastic for birds and insects.”

Barratt Homes has been partnered with the RSPB since 2014. The agreement is the first of its kind in the UK and aims to boost natural habitats at Barratt Homes’ developments across the country.

Unfortunately in July 2020, hedgehogs were added to the Red List for British Mammals, meaning that they had become classified as being vulnerable to extinction. Barratt Homes has been focusing on supporting wildlife both in the gardens of the homes they build and in the surrounding communities.

Tanya Silk, Sales Director at Barratt Homes West Midlands, said: “We have been working with the RSPB for close to eight years now and want to ensure that we’re doing as much as we can to retain and build upon the natural habitat around our developments.

“Hopefully this hedgehog home will help protect the local wildlife from the harsh winter weather and will allow the hedgehogs to thrive at Pikemere School. We encourage everyone to do their part in their own homes to preserve these animals with hedgehog homes and highways.”

Barratt Homes is building close to Pikemere School at Emberton Grange in Alsager.